1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a code recognition method and system for a rotating body which recognizes a code printed on the bottom surface portion or an upper surface portion of the rotating body and, more particularly, to a code recognition method and system for a rotating body which can correctly and rapidly recognize the code regardless of a printing direction of the code.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a product factory where foods or drinks are produced, product codes such as product names and product dates are printed on vessels or the like containing the products, and POP (Point Of Production) or the like is performed on the basis of the product codes. As code systems of the product codes, a barcode system and a kaluler code (two-dimensional data code) system are generally used. For example, when barcodes are used as means for creating product codes, an apparatus called a labeler for sticking an adhesive label is installed on a production line to stick a label at a predetermined position of a conveyed vessel. Known types of labelers include, a labeler for sticking a label which has been printed and a labeler for simultaneously performing sticking and printing of predetermined information. In a factory where mass production is performed such that products conveyed at a high speed need to be labeled, labelers of the former type are generally used.
However, there are supermarkets where the conventional codes described above cannot be used. For example, in physical distribution which treats can products such as cans of drink, since the conventional codes cannot be used for the following reason, when POP such as examination for defective products is to be performed to comply with the PL (Product Liability) laws or the like, the POP such as examination of defective products cannot be effectively performed by a conventional method.
Since a product which uses a vessel such as a bottle or a can having a cylindrical shape may be conveyed with rotation along a predetermined path, the printing direction of a code cannot be easily specified, and it is difficult to pattern-recognize the printed code at a high speed. In addition, when new pieces of information such as a company name, a factory name, and product data which are required for POP are to be added to a conventional system having a machine for code printing or label sticking, a conventional code area has a lack of capacity.
Furthermore, when codes having large amounts of information or codes having complex patterns are used in a system for products which are conveyed at a high speed on a production line, there is a probability that the codes cannot be printed in time. In order to form a new code area independently of a conventional code area stuck on the bottom of a can and print a code at a timing different from a timing at which the code area stuck, the code areas overlap due to rotation of a vessel, and there is a probability that the codes cannot be identified. Information serving as a house code need not be shown to a consumer, and there is information which should not be shown to a consumer. However, when such information needs to be desirably printed to perform product management, a conventional printer cannot be used effectively for this purpose.